[ throws mine down even though you've already seen it probably
we'll say there's a mirror on the wall and it's playing this while jiaoqiu is making tea - his ear flicks when he hears the narration, and he just. sighs, rubbing at his face. adds the two videoclips to go with it because the voice acting does really make it so much better.
The ship is deathly quiet.
You have good hearing - so much that sometimes it hurts to stand in the middle of a crowd of people. You have never heard this ship, or any of the Xianzhou ships, fall this silent. A bad omen.
You have a good sense of smell, too. You could smell the borisin that crept their way onto the ship like vermin, digging their claws into the metal and peeling it away to release their leader. There was not much you could do. You told Feixiao. You led the young ones, too young, the children with swords and no dreams of anything but serving in battle - you led them to the right conclusion, and you hate yourself for it, but what don't you hate yourself for? That doesn't matter. What does matter is you've laid the groundwork. They will do the rest. Your General, and the future you both want.
Ah, right. Your good sense of smell. You can't smell anything other than blood. It's a good thing you lost most of your taste a long time ago. You imagine the taste of iron would be unbearable, here on the ground in this back alley.
You can't breathe right. It hurts so badly - you've never been very good at suppressing pain, and it blares like the loudest of alarms in your heart. You're a healer, you know what the body's limits are, and you know you're stretching them. You know you don't have long.
You look up at the hulking beast in front of you. He looks a little like you - not you, but your species. He's not. Hoolay is a borisin, but somehow, they've managed to all hide their true visages. He grins down at you, teeth and claws stained red with blood. The blood on his claws is yours, but you don't want to think about why his teeth are stained.
"Secrets are a weapon that a hunter cannot live without," Hoolay is saying. "Those who have no secrets are no more than prey, cut open and waiting for death."
You drag in a breath. Choke on it a little.
"What you’re saying is, in your eyes, I am not more than prey that has exhausted all of its secrets, and is simply awaiting its death?" You ask, staring down at the floor rather than Hoolay. Already, there's darkness curling at the edges of your sight, and you know that isn't because you're dying. A side effect.
"Do you think you have some other escape route? Jiaoqiu, I have already peeled back your disguises and defenses layer by layer. I know all the secrets that you and your general have buried so deep," Hoolay growls, voice amused. He thinks he knows. You told him nothing that would hurt your people. You told him things that could sound like secrets, but weren't. That is what you're good for - a clever tongue, quick to lie and persuade. It's all you're good for.
Well. There's one other thing.
"But you have told me all of your secrets too, Warhead," You murmur, eyes still on the floor. Not out of any sense of submissiveness. You simply don't want the borisin to be the last thing you see.
Hoolay laughs. "But you will never have a chance to use them. You will be buried with them right here. Although, you are a fortunate one... After all, you will avoid having to see the tragic future that awaits your general. I'm sure she understands her fate far better than you ever will. One day on the battlefield, she will be overpowered by her ever-intensifying Moon Rage, and finally be torn apart by her own fury and transformation."
He talks too much, you think. But that's alright. That's what you want. You want time. The longer he is here, gloating over you, the longer your General has time to come up with a plan.
"Not even your God can save her from this fate. Although... THEY can lead her to liberation. And the only way to save her is here, in my hands."
Another bloody grin. You huff, and cough, just a little.
"Are you the healer or am I? Are you really that certain of your own judgement?" You ask, idly. Your voice is starting to fail you. It feels like gravel, like trying to enunciate around marbles in your mouth. Gingerly, you rest a hand on your torso, where the worst of the claw wounds are, and turn your head a little, looking out over the wall. Past Hoolay. To the sky, to the world outside this alley, to the sister-ship of your people. You look at the sky.
"I must leave, foxian," Hoolay says, shifting his weight. "But before I go, you know what I must do, don't you?"
And weakly, you reply: "Drink bloodwine... I hear it is a borisin custom to kill prisoners and drink their blood before battle to stir up their madness."
"You really did put hard work into researching us. It is a shame that this is where your journey ends."
And he moves forward. You flinch, knowing what's coming, but it's okay, it's alright, this is your plan. He's right, you did do your research. You knew, since telling Moze to run in the prison, that this might be the outcome, and you are at peace. It's going to hurt, though.
And it does. Hoolay rips into you. Tears flesh from your neck, your torso, like a wild animal. Frenzied, with razor sharp teeth and claws that dig into your arms to keep you still, to stop you from reflexively trying to get away. You can't help yourself - it hurts, you're being mauled, and you cry out, voice ragged and raw, breaking on your screams. Nobody can hear you. Nobody comes to help you.
Hoolay eats and drinks his fill, and tosses you to the ground, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. He must figure there's no point to killing you outright, or perhaps he doesn't even realize you're still alive. He's driven mad by the smell of blood, the taste of blood, and he lets out a roar of laughter before bounding off towards battle - towards Feixiao, your General.
You are left alone, in an alleyway full of bodies.
Clinically, you know you're seconds from death. You can almost see the autopsy report. Bite wounds that extend over a large area, from the patient's neck to his chest. Fractured clavicle. Toxins in the wounds caused flesh to decay and atrophy. Disturbed blood circulation, massive internal bleeding, neurological atrophy, optic neuropathy. Damage to the liver and kidney, impaired lymphatic and immune system. The only part of that report that was Hoolay's fault are the bites, though. The rest was your own doing.
You smile, weakly, opening your eyes to look at the sky one more time.
Enjoy the taste of my fresh blood... Hoolay. Unfortunately, I am not a man without secrets. I still have one little secret hidden up my sleeve.
Your vision is nearly gone. The sky is a smear of pristine blue.
Tumbledust... I drank it a while ago, and the poison is already flowing through my veins. Sooner or later, you will begin to feel the effects. If the most lethal poison known to this world is able to save innocent lives... then it can also be called a great medicine.
You close your eyes for the last time.
I will do my best to cure you... Feixiao, I kept my promise. At the cost of this insignificant life. Bring victory to the Yaoqing.
he's not sick of seeing this memory or anything. ]
[ Oh hells. He glances up and catches it in the mirror and frowns at the idea that this fucking memory thing is spreading, perhaps the last thing anyone needs right now. But here it is.
He glances down at Jiaoqiu, hand never leaving where it rests. ]
[ a huff, his ears falling back. one and a half ears. ]
... Thank you, I suppose. [ at least he doesn't have to look at his dead body in this memory with the kitchen mirrors, that's nice. carefully, he hands marcoh a cup. drink. it'll help. ]
My apologies. What an unpleasant thing to see after everything.
[ He takes it. He almost talks first but considering his voice is on its last legs he takes a sip first. When I give you your mem do you want it the adjusted for the sight impaired version aka adjusted to be mostly what's audible but not seen because miraculously I now already have that, or it the normal way? ]
Don't apologise. You really gave it all to teach that bastard a lesson.
Think you should rub it in his face if you go back.
[ I have opted to be lazy instead of hunting down the pc that I wrote out the theoretical audio-only version of. ]
You have respect for this general of yours. And with what you did, I have no doubts she will succeed.
[ Jiaoqiu's life is worth that much, Marcoh is certain. Though the mirror then fickly decides to start playing something else -- Marcoh drops his teacup about partway through it when he realises what it is. ]
Don't --
[ Look? Listen? But it's not like he can just take Jiaoqiu and throw him out of his own kitchen. He just remains somewhat frozen here. ]
silence, for a moment - he can't see too well, but he can hear the noise, the cracks of skin and bone, and the sound of marcoh and his sister, and after it's over... well.
he glances over his shoulder at marcoh. and then turns fully. ]
... I hope that you know that I'm not afraid of you. [ first. past anything. ]
[ Marcoh isn't looking, gaze avoidant to the cup he'd just dropped. Broken again, go figure. But he's silent and tense even as Jiaoqiu speaks, unsure of how to respond. He hadn't broken this mirror because he's aware enough of the consequences now, but fuck if it sucks having it be brought up. He doesn't mean to forget but maybe he'd like it stop being brought up.
But he should say something, maybe. He can use his injury conveniently to not speak sometimes but not now. ]
Because I don't believe that you're violently out of control. [ tail swish. ] There are reasons for what you do, and I do not intend to give you a reason.
I've seen how gentle you try to be. I trust in that.
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[ he'll probably want to check his hands anyway but. ]
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[ Still got his hand on Jiaoqiu's upper back but now looking him over... ignores the corn dog. ]
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I'm alright. [ he doesn't seem any more injured than he was. ] But Taair and Basilio both woke up with a bruise on their arms.
Anders, and from what I hear, Daigo and Majima, were similarly injured.
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Where?
[ Were those other three? ]
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Hints for where to search tomorrow, I suppose.
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... I wonder if it was someone in our group among the garden, finding a door to step through.
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Why bruise on arm for everyone?
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Trying to wake them up, perhaps?
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[ They haven't failed yet... they'll do it again. ]
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[ he'll make marcoh tea, though.
idk if you want to do a friday memshare but if so creates a kitchen mirror. if not i'll suplex you sunday if we're not dead, ]
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we'll say there's a mirror on the wall and it's playing this while jiaoqiu is making tea - his ear flicks when he hears the narration, and he just. sighs, rubbing at his face. adds the two video clips to go with it because the voice acting does really make it so much better.
he's not sick of seeing this memory or anything. ]
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He glances down at Jiaoqiu, hand never leaving where it rests. ]
Braver than most.
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... Thank you, I suppose. [ at least he doesn't have to look at his dead body in this memory with the kitchen mirrors, that's nice. carefully, he hands marcoh a cup. drink. it'll help. ]
My apologies. What an unpleasant thing to see after everything.
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Don't apologise. You really gave it all to teach that bastard a lesson.
Think you should rub it in his face if you go back.
[ Bitch I lived etc. ]
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Hah. I'd like that. [ his tail swishes back and forth. ] My hope is that if I return, he'll be dead.
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You have respect for this general of yours. And with what you did, I have no doubts she will succeed.
[ Jiaoqiu's life is worth that much, Marcoh is certain. Though the mirror then fickly decides to start playing something else -- Marcoh drops his teacup about partway through it when he realises what it is. ]
Don't --
[ Look? Listen? But it's not like he can just take Jiaoqiu and throw him out of his own kitchen. He just remains somewhat frozen here. ]
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silence, for a moment - he can't see too well, but he can hear the noise, the cracks of skin and bone, and the sound of marcoh and his sister, and after it's over... well.
he glances over his shoulder at marcoh. and then turns fully. ]
... I hope that you know that I'm not afraid of you. [ first. past anything. ]
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[ Marcoh isn't looking, gaze avoidant to the cup he'd just dropped. Broken again, go figure. But he's silent and tense even as Jiaoqiu speaks, unsure of how to respond. He hadn't broken this mirror because he's aware enough of the consequences now, but fuck if it sucks having it be brought up. He doesn't mean to forget but maybe he'd like it stop being brought up.
But he should say something, maybe. He can use his injury conveniently to not speak sometimes but not now. ]
... Why not?
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Because I don't believe that you're violently out of control. [ tail swish. ] There are reasons for what you do, and I do not intend to give you a reason.
I've seen how gentle you try to be. I trust in that.
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[ It's a nice gesture. ]
... I've been... angry before. But I don't know about that angry. It was just, days before I died.
[ Like. Maybe two days before. He hasn't had much all time to process it let alone see it again in third person. ]
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[ carefully sweeping up the cup. ]
I can't say that I condone murder, of course. But there are people who - hm, I believe I've heard it phrased as fuck around and find out.
And I can't say that I wouldn't look away from the consequences suffered by someone who found out.
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Hard not to think about, with the whole "redemption" deal.
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I'm aware you don't believe me, but I will not change my opinion on this.
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